Brownfields are unused or underused properties with contamination concerns. Common examples in Oregon include former gas stations, auto repair shops, dry cleaners, landfills, and mill sites.
Including strategies that address health inequities and promote the health of communities living nearby brownfields is crucial throughout the redevelopment and land use planning process. OHA supports efforts that engage the communities living nearby brownfield properties, involve local leaders, foster cross-sector collaboration, and prevent harmful exposures to contamination.
Mill Sites Inventory and Mapping Project
The OHA-Brownfield Initiative, Department of Environmental Quality, Business Oregon and the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) teamed up with interns from the urban and regional planning graduate program at Portland State University to create the first centralized inventory and map of abandoned or diminished wood-product mill sites (“sites”), a significant subset of Oregon’s brownfield sites. Using the definition of mill site in ORS 197.719, the team identified shared interests in potential for reuse that addresses cross cutting needs in economic development, environmental restoration, land use, and health.
Revisiting Oregon Mill Sites - A State Agency Collaboration
Brownfields and Public Health Toolkit
Public health involvement in brownfield projects adds new strategies for incorporating health and equity considerations into planning, transportation, land use, development, housing, climate change impacts, food security, and many other aspects of brownfield redevelopment.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR) Action Model Toolkit includes evidence based strategies that promote health considerations in brownfield efforts nationwide.
Public Health Role in Brownfields
State and local public health agencies contribute to brownfield projects throughout Oregon. Below are a few examples of how public health partners engage in this work.
- Apply for brownfield funding and manage projects funded by the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
- Engage communities most impacted by brownfield sites by supporting inclusive and meaningful community engagement processes. For example, convene and facilitate community advisory committees that inform brownfield redevelopment decisions and plans.
- Identify opportunities to leverage other efforts from environmental public health, health promotion and chronic disease prevention, or other collaborations that seek to improve health.
- Contribute health data and strategies (i.e. from community health needs assessments and community health improvement plans) to funding applications, brownfield site inventory development processes, or other decision making structures.
- Characterize a health-related community concerns and opportunities to improve health through changes to the built environment through the assessment and redevelopment process.
- Participate on brownfield advisory committees to inform strategies and prioritization of site specific, area-wide, inventory or comprehensive brownfield or land-use planning.
Health Equity: Equitable Development and Environmental Justice
The OHA-Public Health Division strategic planning goals include the goal of strengthening public health capacity to improve health outcomes by promoting health equity in all programs and policies. In brownfield redevelopment health equity is most commonly discussed through equitable development and environmental justice approaches. The following resources provide guidance.